Frequently Asked Questions About the Jordan-Cove LNG Project:

What is the Jordan Cove LNG Project?

The Jordan Cove LNG project is a proposal to transport fracked gas from the Rockies and Canada across southern Oregon to Coos Bay where it will be turned into liquefied natural gas (LNG) at a giant new terminal, put on large tankers and sent overseas. A 36-inch fracked gas pipeline called Pacific Connector would travel 229 miles from Malin to Coos Bay, cutting through Klamath, Jackson, Douglas and Coos counties.

What is LNG?

LNG stands for liquefied natural gas which is made primarily of methane gas. Methane gas, produced from the extractino process called fracking, is liquefied solely for the purpose of transportation and shipping. It is liquefied by being cooled at temperatures of -260 degrees Fahrenheit and takes up 1/600th of the volume that gas does in its natural state. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquefied_natural_gas)

Yes. Exporting natural gas could cause domestic gas prices to compete on the world market, raising our natural gas prices by an estimated 25% and threatening U.S. jobs where factories depend on natural gas. The Department Of Energy has determined up to 1.2 million manufacturing jobs would move overseas. Exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) "puts pressure on prices that wouldn't be good for consumer," according to Avista Senior vice president Jason Thackston in 2014. . (Department of Energy NERA Study, 12-3-12).

How will private landowners be impacted?

Approximately 157 miles of the 229-mile pipeline would cross private property. There are 704 affected landowners on or adjacent to the proposed facilities and routes. Many of these landowners will be threatened with United States granted use of eminent domain for the pipeline right of way if they don't sign a settlement with the company for use of their land. Landowners will be offered a small, one time payment for the use of their property, while they will lose access and endure limitations on the right of way for things like planting crops, building structures, the use of heavy equipment, and the clearing of all brush and trees. the company has less than 40% of needed contracts with landowners.(Jordan Cove Energy and Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline Project 2014 DEIS at ES-5, Appendix A, pg's A-11, A-20; County Recorder Records).

Threats to traditional tribal territories.

Cultural resources, traditional tribal territories and burial grounds are threatened by both the pipeline route and the export facility. The Karuk, Yurok and Klamath Tribes have all passed resolutions opposing the pipeline.

How will this project impact our climate?

Jordan Cove LNG and the Pacific Connector fracked gas Pipeline would become the largest source of climate pollution in the state by 2020, when the Boardman Coal Plant closes. A new study from Oil Change International finds that this project would emit over 37 million metric tons (MMT) of greenhouse gas pollution, 15 times the Boardman Coal Plant or 7.9 million cars on the road. Moving forward with this project would make it increasingly unlikely that Oregon can reach its climate goals and the targets of the Paris Climate Accords, which Governor Kate Brown committed to in 2017. Oregon's commitment to climate leadership would be undermined by hosting a facility that supports unsustainable global emissions and undermines climate action in other regions. (Oil Change International, Jordan Cove LNG and Pacific Connector Pipeline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Briefing)

Will public lands be impacted?

Approximately 75 miles of the pipeline would cross public Forest Service and BLM lands. The pipeline would create a linear, 95-foot wide clear-cut, and in doing so, would degrade and fragment forest habitat for endangered species, increase erosion, cut forests in old-growth reserves and riparian reserves. Forest plans for these lands currently do not allow such harm to our public resources for pipeline construction. As a result, the Forest Service and BLM are in the process of rewriting their management plans so as to allow for pipeline development. (Jordan Cove Energy and Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline Project 2014 DEIS at ES-5 and 2-84).

The pipeline will affect farms and fishing businesses as it will disturb more than 400 waterways, damaging sensitive salmon and steelhead habitat. Horizontal directional drilling would occur under the Klamath, Rogue, Umpqua, and Coquille Rivers, threatening these waterways with potential pipeline drilling accidents called "frack outs". Job loss will also occur in fisheries, oyster farms, tourism and more in the Coos Bay area due to the degradation of habitat and natural resources that these jobs depend upon.

How are water resources and salmon impacted?

The proposed Pacific Connector pipeline would cross 400 bodies of water in the Coos, Coquille, Umpqua, Rogue and Klamath watersheds. These crossings would require extensive riparian clearing that would reduce shade increasing water temperatures in streams that already violate temperature standards for salmon and other cold-water fish. Construction of the pipeline would cause increased sedimentation in streams and rivers, which impacts fish and their habitat. Many of the streams and rivers that the pipeline would cross are home to native salmon that are in many cases already facing extinction. The amount of material that would be dredged out of the Coos Bay estuary and removed from streams is over 6 million cubic yards and would fill the Rosebowl stadium in Pasadena nearly 15 times! (Jordan Cove Energy and Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline Project 2014 DEIS at 2-26).

There are a huge number of approvals the companies would need to acquire at the federal, state and county levels. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is the lead federal agency to evaluate the proposal. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and Department of State Lands will process applications for the use of state lands, impacts to water bodies and the dredging proposal at Coos Bay. The Oregon Department of Energy, Oregon Water Resources Department, Forest Service, BLM, US Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA Fisheries, US Department of Energy, and US Army Corps of Engineers all have roles to play in evaluating, granting, or denying the necessary permits for the project. (Jordan Cove Energy and Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline Project 2014 DEIS, pg's 1-2, 1-12, 1-17, 1-18).

How safe is this project?

We are seeing more and more that fossil fuel transmission pipelines (much bigger than the ones bringing gas to your house) and exports are not safe. Over the last two years, the Williams Company has had four gas infrastructure explosions in the US, injuring workers and evacuating towns. Much of the Pacific Connector pipeline is proposed to travel through rural areas that are prone to summer wildfires where the pipeline would have much lower safety standards than in more populated areas. The Jordan Cove terminal would be built in a region vulnerable to earth quakes and tsunamis located near the population centers of North Bend and Coos Bay. Senator Ron Wyden has even addressed safety concerns about the project and that they need to be thoroughly addressed. (http://www.oregonlive.com/today/index.ssf/2015/02/wyden_asks_regulators_for_more.html) (http://grist.org/news/this-companys-gas-plants-just-keep-on-exploding/)